34531: Acquiring knowledge from the Ash’aris

Is it permissible to study fiqh or ‘uloom al-hadeeth (sciences of hadeeth) with an Ash’ari individual?.

Praise be to Allaah.

The Ash’aris
are a sect that is named after Imam Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari (may Allaah have
mercy on him). Al-Ash’ari passed through three stages – as mentioned by Ibn
Taymiyah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/72 – which may be summed up as
follows: a Mu’tazili stage; then following Ibn Kilaab; then following Ahl
al-Sunnah, chiefly Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Al-Ash’ari clearly stated his
final position in his three books: Risaalah ila Ahl al-Thaghr,
Maqaalaat al-Islaamiyyeen, and al-Ibaanah. Whoever follows
al-Ash’ari at this stage is in accordance with Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah
in most issues. Whoever follows his path at the second stage is going
against al-Ash’ari himself, and is going against Ahl al-Sunnah in many
issues.

Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen said in al-Fataawa, 3/338:

Those later scholars who
called themselves after Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari were following the second of
his stages of ‘aqeedah. They followed the method of misinterpreting most of
the divine attributes, and this only affirmed the seven attributes mentioned
in the following line of verse:

“Ever-Living, All-Knowing, Able (to do all things), He speaks, He wills, He
hears and He sees.”

They also
differed with Ahl al-Sunnah as to how these attributes are to be
understood.

The Standing
Committee issued a fatwa (no. 6606, vol. 3/220):

The Ash’aris
are not kuffaar, rather they erred in their interpretation of some of the
Divine attributes.

Based on
this, it is better for a Muslim to study Islamic knowledge and sharee’ah
only with scholars who are well known for their knowledge and sound belief
(‘aqeedah), and to keep away from those who follow bid’ah and go against Ahl
al-Sunnah, including the Ash’aris. This is something that is easy to do –
praise be to Allaah – because the means of learning have become readily
available to all people. The knowledge of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah is
available through many means such as Islamic tapes, books, and leaflets;
there are Islamic bulletin boards and sites on the internet, and many easy
ways of accessing knowledge – praise be to Allaah.

O Allaah,
teach us that which will benefit us, benefit us by that which we learn and
increase us in knowledge.